Guard-rail fastener



(No Model.) I D. P. VAUGHAN.

GUARDRAIL FASTENER- No. 564,350. Patented July .21. 1896,

1esses: Inventor. v I @fi:vicl Uaugfimw UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

D AVID F. VAUGHAN, OF HADDONFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

GUARD-RAiL FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,350, dated J'uly21,1896.

Application filed January 30, 1896. Serial No. 577,439. (No model.)

citizen of the United States, residing at Haddonfield', in the county ofCamden and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Guard-Rail Fasteners, of which the following isa full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, of which Figure 1 is a plan view of the device as in use; Fig.2, a section on line 0: 50, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a side elevation.

This invention relates to fasteners for securing guard-rails in properrelative position to the main-track rails of a railway; and its objectis to produce such a device which shall be efficient, readilyadjustable, and capable of being cheaply made.

The precise character of the invention will appear from the followingdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whichclearly illustrate the preferred form of the device.

In the said drawings, A designates the main rail, which, in the presentinstance, is an ordinary T-rail; B, the guard-rail.

O is the metal fastener-plate, upon which the two rails rest, the endsof the plate projecting beyond the sides of the rails, respectively. Oneof these ends is secured to the underlying tie D by means of spikes c eof usual form, which are driven through suitable openings made in theplate. The heads of the spikes c extend over and upon the edge of thefoot of the guard-rail, and thus retain, or aid in retaining, the latterin place. In the projecting end of the plate, on the main-rail side, isan opening F, the outer edge of which, beyond the rail, when in place,is inclined with relation to the side of the rail, as clearly seen inFig. 1, and is provided with a series of steps or offsets f.

When the guard-rail B has been adjusted the desired distance from themain rail, the

in proper relation to each other.

hen for any reason it is desired to adjust and secure the guard-railnearer to or farther from the main rail, in order to leave asuitableinterval between the adjacent heads of the two rails for the passage ofthe car-wheel flange, the spikes e e are drawn out and the guard-railshifted with relation to the main rail. The said spikes are thenredriven. The spike f is then withdrawn and redriven against therequired one of the steps f, or sometimes the spike may be allowed toremain and another one driven at the proper point.

If the required adjustment of the guardrail be slight, the plate andrail may be adjusted without removing the spikes c c by driving overwith a hammer. I usually'secure to plate 0, by means of rivets g, abrace-lug h, whose inner end bears against the side of the guard-rail. Ialso usually provide the said plate with a slot k to receive a spike 7&Fig. 2, to aid in securing the main rail, a part of the foot of theguard-rail being cut away at this point, as shown, so that the spikeshall not be in the way of the adjustment of the rail.

I remark that although it is preferable-to use the offsets or steps fthey may be omitted and the incline be a straight line; also, that it isnot essential that the said offsets, when used, shall run regularly stepby step, but must be at different distances from a baseline.

Spikes'e may be used at the sides of the guard-rail end of the plate forsecuring the latter, as shown in Fig. 1. Both rails, at points beyondthe fastener-plate, will of course be spiked to the ties in thecustomary manner.

It will be seen that my fastener device obviates the use of wedges nowgenerally employed for securing and adjusting the guardrail, and whichare objectionable on account of working loose, requiring frequentattention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination with a main rail, and its adjacentguard-rail, of the plate 0 upon which both of said rails are seated, andwhose end portions project beyond the sides thereof respectively, one ofsaid end portions having therein spike-seating apertures, and the opposite end portion adjacent to the main rail having therein an elongatedslot one edge of which is oblique to the rail, said slot providing meanswhereby the guard-rail may be secured in dilferent relations to the mainrail, by means of a spike driven therethrough, together with means forsecuring the inner edge of said main rail in proper adjustmentsubstantially as specified.

2. The combination with a main rail, and its adjacent guard-rail, of theplate 0 upon which both of said rails are seated, and whose end portionsproject beyond the sides thereof, respectively, the end portion thereofon the main-rail side having an elongated slot forming a spike-seat, oneedge of which is inclined or oblique with reference to said rail,whercby guard-rail may be secured in different relations to the mainrail by an adjustment of the spike therein, the opposite end portion ofsaid plate having spike-seats,and also a bracelug which abuts againstsaid guard-rail, together with means for securing the inner edge of saidmain rail in proper adjustment sub stantially as specified.

3. The combination with the main rail, and its adjacent guard-rail, ofthe plate 0 upon which both of the said rails are seated and whose endportions project beyond the said rails, respectively, that end portionthereof on the main-rail side having an elongated slot whose outer edgeis oblique with reference to said rail, and is stepped, spikes driventhrough the opposite end portion of said plate, and a brace-lug securedthereto and abutting against the guard-rail, that portion of the platebetween the two rails having also a slotted spike-seat, adjacent towhich the foot of the guard-rail is cut away, all substantially as andfor the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID F. VAUGHAN.

\Vitnesses:

WALTER C. PUsnY, ISAAC \V. IIEYSINGER.

